California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined.
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| Vienna after WWII |
My Thoughts
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner is a touching story. It is a dual timeline novel that takes us back to 1938 when Rosie lost her parents in an accident. The sixteen-year girl is taken in by the Calvert’s who own the vineyard where Rosie’s parents worked. Rosie becomes the Calvert’s maid (cook, cleaner, laundress). When Rosie becomes pregnant, Mrs. Calvert has Rosie sent to an institution. Rosie had made the mistake of telling a person about her synesthesia, which was not understood at the time. In 1947, Helen Calvert returns to the United States after working as a nanny abroad. Helen’s brother, Truman, has since passed. When Helen learns what Celine Calvert did to Rosie, she sets out to find her. Only the Beautiful is an emotional story.
It is heartbreaking to read about
the eugenics movement. I appreciated the
author’s note at the end which provided additional information. I thought the story was well-written with
developed characters. Rosie and Helen
are great characters. I enjoyed getting
to know them. I like the author
incorporated the amaryllis into the story.
I can tell the author did her research for this book and incorporated it
beautifully. The story does address some
difficult topics (racism, institutionalization, sterilization, assault, and
doctor experimentation) which some people might have trouble reading
about. It is a shame that throughout
history those who are “different” are often targeted. Only the Beautiful is an informative book. It is a story that provokes discussion and it
had me searching for more information on a couple of the topics mentioned. I enjoyed the author’s beautiful descriptions
of the vineyard. The theme that runs
throughout the book is that no one needs to live the life that someone else has
mapped out for them. The determined can
carve out their own path. Only the Beautiful is a compelling tale orphaned adolescent, unwavering vineyard owner, a
compassionate nanny, vibrant sounds, an involuntary surgery, and a desperate hunt.
Only the Beautiful is available from Amazon*. You can find Susan Meissner's other novels here. Dread and Buried by Angie Fox (a general link to the series since the book was not listed on Amazon when I wrote this post) is out today as well as Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer. Thank you for stopping by today. I will be sharing my thoughts on Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer tomorrow. I hope that you have a joyful day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The
Avid Reader
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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